Safe protective apparatus



MalCh 22, 1932. W. YOUNG 1,850,337

SAFE PROTECTIVE APPARATUS Filed DeC 1l, 1950 Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED STAT-'Es JOHNH'W. YOUNG, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANA SAFE PROTECTIVE APPARATUS Application filed December 11, 1930. Serial No. 501,635.

' This invention relates to protective app aratus for vaults, safes and similar depositories, more particularly it is directed to an installation adapted to be associated withthe doors of such depositories to the end that any attempt to gain access thereto other than through the operation of the combination mechanism will liberate a gas capable of temporarily incapacitating the intruder and ie at the same time effect actuation of an auxiliary bolt mechanism.

, One of the objects of this invention is to provide an installation of the character indicated by means of which the pressure of the i temporarily incapacitating agent is utilized for the purpose of throwing one or more auxiliary locking bolts into operative position.

Another object of this invention is to pro- 29 vide a gas disbursing and auxiliary locking device applicable to the interior of safes, vaults and the like, having facilities for accomplishing through a single instrumentality, namely, the temporarily incapacitating '25 agent, that which heretofore required not only the gas, but likewise a mechanical arrangement for releasing and throwing the auxiliary bolts into operative position.

Another object of this invention is to ef- ;30 fect a gas operative, an auxiliary bolt construction having gas outlet ports permitting the gas after it has thrown the bolts, to escape to the interior of the safe for the purpose of incapacitating the person unlawfully seeking access to the safe, vault or the like.

Another obj ect of this invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which will insure a releasement of the gas and operation of the bolts when but a single tension cord has been severed in the attempt to gain access to the safe.

Another object of this invention is to providea gas protective apparatus and auxiliary locking mechanism which may be readily applied to safe doors or the like at the timeof manufacture or to existing structures with a minimum expenditure of time, labor and material, and to furnish a gas liberating and auxiliary lock installation embodying but Y .50 few parts instantlyedective to release a gas of a temporarily incapacitating nature and operating one or more bolts should the safe door be unlawfully tampered with.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several gures, of which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectionized view partly in elevation illustrating the installation constituting the subject matter of this e5 application as applied to the .usual form of safe doors.

Fig. 2 is a detailed fragmentary sectionized View partly in elevation of the generator ignition means and one of the auxiliary lock-v ing devices.

Fig. 3 is a sectionized detail partly in elevation of the bearing block and associated parts.

Fig. 4; is a transfer vertical taken on the line H of Fig. 3; and v Fig. 5 is a detailed horizontal section partly in elevation of the generator and associated parts. Y

In my pending, application, Serial No. 444,498, filed April l5, 1930, title safe protective apparatus, there is described a gas protectlveapparatus consisting of a generator adapted to contain avsubstance capable of producing a gas of a temporarily incapacitating nature and a combustible charge to expell the 85 gas under pressure, the generator being mounted on the rear wall of the safe door, a normally inoperative ignition means in connection with the generator to fire the combustible mixture and an ignition releasing mechanism automatically functioning to render the ignition operative upon an attempted removal of the front plate of the safe, vault or similar depository.

In effecting the improvement constituting 95 the subject matter of this application, the same subject matter is utilized as described in the application hereinabove defined with the addition of an auxiliary locking mechanism, the latter being operated by the pres- 109 sure ofthe combustible charge used for expeiling the temporarily incapacitating agent, or by the agent itself dependent upon the exigency of the v situation.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention, A represents the door of a sa e, vault ork other depositories; B and C,

' y its frontend rear plates, respectively, which are attached in theusual manner to a supportmg frame D. f Theman bolt ofthe door.`

(not shown) is controlled by the customary combination mechanism.

' To produce the requisite temporarily incapacitating agent, there Vis provided agenerator II consisting of a Vmetallic container ,divided intorcompartments and G byy the centralpartition 1. This container is adapt? ed to be bolted or otherwise attached to the rear plate of the safe door, and has its top Vportion `,formed ywith two lateral spaced lvlgned openingsv y2 and 3 respectively,.each of VWhich issurrounded by a vertically disy v posed v.sleeve 4. Y'Ihe klower ends off'fthese sleeves proj ecty toa slight extent intoy the intterior of the respective compartments yas kclearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, while theupper, ends thereof are closed by plugs 4i',

vthelatter being Centrally formed with suitableopenings to slidably receivev firing pins 5 and 5 adapted to cooperate with detonators 6 positioned in the lower ends of the sleeves.

Firing pin 5. is normally heldin unarmed positionv with, respect to detonator 6, against the'actionfoffa spring 7 by means of a-shearable tension cord 8.

The compartments F and G ofthe container are each' 'chargedwith fa combustible mixl tureand a substance Vfor producing fa gasof a temporarily incapacitating nature, the combustible mixture kfunctioning upon ignitionas a propellantfto force 'the toxic agent 'to the exterior kof the ,f eIieratOr'.A Y

To eii'ect release of firing pin 5 associated with` compartmentF when they front plate ofV cord l8 is attachedto ananchoring pin 11 procom drawings.

'ecting from the rear plate C above bearing loclrlO as clearly shown in' Fig. 1 ofthe Bearing block 'is interiorly formed with an annularI opening 12 in whichis slidably positioned asimilarly shaped shearing head 13, said head being formed with a peripheral voove 14 tangentially disposed with respect e ing through Slot 9 also extends between the wallsv of, groove 14:V as clearlyshown in Fig.k 4

of the drawngsshearing head 13 is affixed to the inner end of a rod 15 whichextends from block 10 to the front plate B and terminates with its free end flush with the outer surface of plate B. In this connection it is to be understood the attachment of the free end of rod 15 to the front plate of the safe door a must be carefully made for concealment purposescsince detection of the connection might seriously impair the effectiveness ofthe invention. Y

YVVithrthe-parts assembled as 'ust described, it will be evident removal of t e front late Bcofn'the safeg door retracts head 13 of 10and as the latter moves outwardly from its seat, owing-to the engagement of the walls of groove 14 with tension cord 8, said. cord ythe action: ofits spring to str1 ke' and fire detonator thereby igniting the combustible mixture in compartment F and propelling the temporarily incapacitating agentvk therein t'o to the combinationmechanism to which it is attachedas at '16.-

lock Y so yvvillbe sheared permittin firing; in 5VV under By this arrangemengany attempt to enter the safe through the combination housing willf/disengagethe lever 16 from itsposition in slot 19 and permit iringpin 5, under the action ofits' spring y7 to explode the detonator 6 and kignite the combustible mixture ioo in compartment-G with thevsame result as .in the' case of firing rpinf.

Coming now to' 'the-principal feature of this invention, namely, the auxiliary Ilocking mechanism by meansiof whichy av pairfof suitably locked bolts are throwniinto locking or operative position through theinstrumentality of the gas produced by the generatori'priory to its escape there` is provided yin rconnection with the respective compartments F and Gof'the containerbolt assembly I and K. Assemblyv I consists of a'tu'bular sleeve20, oney end of which communicates vwith the interior of compartment Fthrough the opening 21 formed, adjacent the upper f 'end of said compartment while the opposite ,n end of said sleeve opens into bolt seat) 22 formedin one of the side members of; the door and frames A and D, respectively, as clearly shown in Figsl and2 -voffthe1 drawy in s. to the yslot 9 inkblock 10 so that cord in passn order topermit escapey off the gas idekveloped in compartment F upon ignitioaof the combustible mixture, sleeve 20 is formed with an youtlet port 23.1' yNormallythisportis n closed by the tubular bolt 24 s d'ably'positioned in sleeve ftlfsincetlaey bolt in itsAv re tracted position overlies the port. When the bolt-under the pressure of the gas has been thrown into locking position, that is to say with its outer end projecting into seat 22, port 23 is opened, thus venting the gas to the exterior of the container. A spring actuated detent 25 pivoted to the undersurface of sleeve 20 as at 26 is adapted to project through opening 27 through sleeve 20 and into notch 28 formed in the inner end of the bolt for the purpose of locking the latter in its operaitve position.

With the components of locking mechanism I associated as hereinabove stated, it will be manifest upon explosion of detonator 6 in compartment F, the pressure ot the ensuring gases of combustion will lirst throw the bolt 24 into locking position and then upon uncovering of port 23, escape to the exterior atmosphere.

Bolt assembly K is identical with assembly I in that it embodies sleeve 20', bolt seat 22', port 23', slidable bolt 24', spring actuated detent 25', and its associated parts. In this assembly, however, the tree end of the sleeve is not connected directly with compartment G of the container but communicates with the interior of said compartment by means of a tube 29 as clearlyshown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

In the light of the preceding structural detail, it will be seen that an attempted removal of the front plate of the safe door will result in severance of tension cord 8, release of tiring pin 5, and explosion of detonator 6 in compartment F of the container, with consequent ignition of the combustible mixture therein, the pressure of which forces bolt 24 to locking position and opens port 23, thus permitting escape of the products of combustion together withthe temporarily incapacitating agent. On the other hand, it the combination mechanism is tampered with, lever 16 will be removed from its seat in tiring pin 5 thereby releasing said pin and exploding detonator cap 6 in compartment Gr, whereupon the gas developed therein passing through tube 29 actuates bolt 24 to locking position and then escapes through port 23 as will be ,'i readily understood without further discusgas chamber and a bolt slidable in the chamber, said bolt being normally retained in inoperative position but operable to an operative position by the gas entering said chamber, means :tor supplying a gas of a temporarily incapacitating nature to said chamber, and means for effecting release of the gasffor incapacitating purposes, as the bolt is actuated to operative position.

2. A safe protective apparatus comprising an auxiliary locking device including a gas chamber and a slidable bolt normally held in inoperative position but adapted to be actuated to operative position by the gas entering said chamber, means for supplying a gas of a temporarily incapacitating nature to said chamber, and additional means in connection with said chamber to release the gas for incapacitating purposes, said means being controlled by the movement 'of the bolt.

3. A safe protective apparatus comprising an auxiliary locking mechanism, including a gas chamber and a slidable bolt normally maintained in operative position and adapted to be operated by the gas entering said chamber, means for supplying gas of a temporarily incapacitating nature to said chamber, and means for releasing said gas from the chamber for incapacitating purposes, said means including an aperture adapted to be uncovered by the movement of the bolt.

4. A safe protective apparatus comprising an auxiliary locking mechanism, including agas chamber, a slidable bolt normally maintained in operative position and adapted to be operated by the gas entering said chamber, a gas generating device for producing gas of a temporarily incapacitating nature, means for setting said device into operation, a conduit connecting said gas generating device with said chamber, and means in connection with said chamber to release the gas for incapacitating purposes as the bolt is actuated to operative position.

5. A safe protective apparatus comprising an auxiliary locking mechanism, including a gas chamber, and a slidable bolt normally retained in inoperative position and adapted to be moved to operative position by the gas entering said chamber, a gas generating device Jfor producing gas of a temporarily incapacitating nature, means for setting said device into operation, a conduit connecting said gas generating device to said chamber, and means ink connection with said chamber and controlled by the movement of the bolt to release the gas for incap acitating purposes, said means including an aperture adapted to be uncovered as the bolt is actuated to operative position.

JOI-IN W. YOUNG. 

